The invention relates to compositions that are beneficial for the gastrointestinal system and useful as a dietary supplement. These compositions contain yeast cells obtainable by growth in electromagnetic fields with specific frequencies and field strengths.
Gastric discomfort is a common ailment. In a healthy human stomach and duodenum, an effective balance exists between the potential for gastric acid and pepsin to damage gastric mucosal cells, and the ability of these gastric mucosal cells to protect themselves from injury. Disruption of this balance has been attributed to several factors, including environmental and emotional stress, age, diet, genetics and individual behavior. This disruption is evidenced as a burning, aching or gnawing pain that may be perceived as abdominal pressure or fullness. Most of the symptoms experienced by patients under such conditions result from a breakdown of the normal mucosal defense mechanisms. Various studies have demonstrated that gastric acid and pepsin are important in the pathogenesis of dyspepsia, stomach upset, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and duodenal and gastric ulcer.
Several mechanisms are believed to be important in protecting gastric and duodenal mucosa from damage by gastric acid, pepsin, bile pancreatic enzymes, as well as external stress factors. These defense mechanisms include mucus, mucosal blood flow, cell renewal and bicarbonate. These factors acting in balance help maintain mucosal integrity.
Physical stress has been shown to induce significant gastrointestinal mucosal injury in animals. Water-immersion restraint stress of rats results in an increase in cell loss accompanied by an accelerated cell migration and macroscopic mucosal injury. Cell migration was found to be accelerated in fandic mucosa after 90 minutes of exposure to stress. A combination of increased cell loss and depressed epithelial proliferation may play a role in stress-related gastric lesions and injury in the rats. It has been suggested that oxygen free radicals are greatly involved in the pathogenesis of gastric injury. Free radicals may play a major role in stress-induced gastrointestinal injury.
Current treatments for gastric discomfort include administration of antacids and H2-receptor antagonists. However, these treatments are not effective in preventing stress-induced gastric injury or other gastrointestinal ailments over the long term. There remains a need for an effective method to treat gastrointestinal discomfort.
This invention is based on the discovery that certain yeast cells can be activated by electromagnetic fields having specific frequencies and field strengths to produce substances that are beneficial for the gastrointestinal system. Compositions comprising these activated yeast cells can be used as dietary supplement for improving gastrointestinal health, e.g., for alleviating gastritis, gastric ulcer, inadequate gastric acid secretion, indigestion and other gastrointestinal ailments.
This invention embraces a composition comprising a plurality of yeast cells that have been cultured in an alternating electric field having a frequency in the range of about 18000-18200 MHz (e.g., 18100-18150 MHz), and a field intensity in the range of about 100 to 420 mV/cm (e.g., 120-410 mV/cm). The yeast cells are cultured in the alternating electric field for a period of time sufficient to substantially increase the capability of said plurality of yeast cells to produce substances beneficial for the gastrointestinal system. For instance, the cultured yeast cells when ingested can increase (e.g., by at least 10% such as 20%, 50%, 100%, 200%, and 300%) the secretion of gastric acid and/or the activity level of pepsin, and/or alleviate (e.g., by at least 10% such as 20% and 100%) gastric ulcer in a mammal.
In one embodiment, the frequency and/or the field strength of the alternating electric field can be altered within the aforementioned ranges during said period of time. In other words, the yeast cells can be exposed to a series of electromagnetic fields. An exemplary period of time is about 40-120 hours (e.g., 60 to 98 hours).
Yeast cells that can be included in this composition can all be obtained from the China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (xe2x80x9cCGMCCxe2x80x9d), a depository recognized under the Budapest Treaty (China Committee for Culture Collection of Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Haidian, P.O. BOX 2714, Beijing, 100080, China). Useful yeast species include, but are not limited to, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, Saccharomyces chevalieri, Saccharomyces delbrueckii, Saccharomyces exiguous, Saccharomyces fermentati, Saccharomyces logos, Saccharomyces mellis, Saccharomyces oviformis, Saccharomyces rosei, Saccharomyces rouxii, Saccharomyces sake, Saccharomyces uvarum, Saccharomyces willianus, Saccharomyces sp., Schizosaccharomyces octosporus, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Sporobolomyces roseus, Torulopsis candida, Torulopsisfamta, Torulopsis globosa, Torulopsis inconspicua, Trichosporon behrendii, Trichosporon capitatum, Trichosporon cutaneum, Wickerhamia fluoresens, Candida arborea, Candida krusei, Candida lambica, Candida lipolytica, Candida parapsilosis, Candida pulcherrima, Candida rugousa, Candida tropicalis, Candida utilis, Crebrothecium ashbyii, Geotrichum candidum, Hansenula anomala, Hansenula arabitolgens, Hansenula jadinii, Hansenula saturnus, Hansenula schneggii, Hansenula subpelliculosa, Kloeckera apiculata, Lipomyces starkeyi, Pichia farinosa, Pichia membranaefaciens, Rhodosporidium toruloides, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodotorula minuta, Rhodotorula rubar, Rhodotorula aurantiaca, Saccharomycodes ludwigii, and Saccharomycodes sinenses. For instance, the yeast cells can be of the strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen AS2.375, AS2.501, AS2.502, AS2.503, AS2.504, AS2.535, AS2.558, AS2.560, AS2.561, AS2.562 or IFFI1048; or Saccharomyces carlsbergensis Hansen AS2.420 or AS2.444.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Exemplary methods and materials are described below, although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. All publications and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. The materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Throughout this specification and claims, the word xe2x80x9ccomprise,xe2x80x9d or variations such as xe2x80x9ccomprisesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccomprising,xe2x80x9d will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims.